Stuff such as United's new offering generally arrives on Android sooner or later, and there are whole categories of apps - such as alternative keyboards - that are Android-only.

Much of the time, I'm an Android user myself, so I'm happy when something is available for Google's operating system and sorry when it isn't. But despite the fact that iOS's market share is much smaller than that of Android, and has been for years, Apple devices are still nearly always first in line when a major company or hot startup has to decide where to allocate its development resources. That's a dynamic that pundits keep telling us makes no sense - but it's happening, and its an enormous competitive advantage for Apple. 'Sounds like a victory to me.

iOS has won the application wars.

Sure, you have to disregard those gazilion Android applications iOS could never support (keyboards, launchers, SMS applications, browsers, task switchers, lock screens, etc., and so on, and so forth), but if you do that, then yes, iOS has won.

The tortoise is faster than the hare. Sure, you have to cut off the hare's legs first, but then, sure, yeah, the tortoise is faster.